2016 NFL Arizona at San Diego Expert Predictions

If NFL fans have learned anything from preseason games in the past, it’s that they tend to have little bearing on what actually goes down in the regular season. There have been countless teams who have gone unbeaten in the 4 weeks of preseason, only to fall apart when the games actually mean something. The same rules apply to teams that struggle, so it’s always a good idea not to get too carried away by what you see, especially in the opening couple of weeks of the preseason. The Arizona Cardinals, who are considered one of the online NFL betting odds favorites to make the playoffs took a heavy beating in Week 1 at the hands of the Oakland Raiders. Their opponents this week, the San Diego Chargers, also took a big loss in their opening game, going down 27-10 to the Tennessee Titans. Both teams will want to get a win under their belts, regardless of the meaning of this game, and it’s the Chargers who have been installed as a 1.5-point home favorite.

2016 NFL Cardinals at Chargers Expert Predictions

When: Friday, August 19 at 9 PM EST Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego TV: KFMB-TV NFL Odds: Chargers -1½  

Why bet on the Arizona Cardinals

It would be easy to look at the 31-10 loss to the Oakland Raiders in Week 1 of the preseason and worry a little for the Cardinals, but let’s keep in mind that they only had their starters in for a single series. In that series, Carson Palmer drove them 70-plus yards in a drive that ended with a field goal. The Arizona Cardinals are going to be just fine, although there have to be some concerns about Matt Barkley, who went just 8 for 24, and threw an INT in the process. They will undoubtedly give him a lot of time in Week 2 to iron out the kinks and get his confidence back. I look for a rebound game from this bunch.

Why bet on the San Diego Chargers

Again, let’s reiterate that the preseason games are nothing to get too worked up about in terms of team performance. That said, the Chargers would like to have gotten something from their Week 1 trip to Tennessee to face a Titans team expected to struggle this year. Their 27-10 loss to the Titans was not a perfect way to get things rolling, but that will have a shot for some vindication on their home field on Friday night. It once again has to be stated that this team has a lot to overcome this year, as they are going to have to go through this season not knowing where they are playing next year. That was a distraction that did a lot of damage in 2015, and it has the potential to do so again.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The Cardinals may be coming into this one as the underdog, but I like them to come out as a winner. It should be a tight one, but I think the Cards prevail in a low scoring affair.

Arizona Cardinals 17 San Diego Chargers 14